Gas torch



April 1, 1947. G 1 WALKER 2,418,208 4 GAS TORCH Fil ed Nov. 4, 1945 INVENTOR. I GEO/P65 L mil/ma A TTORNE Y6 Patented Apr. 1, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT orncs GAS TORCH George L. Walker, Jersey City, N. J assignor to Air Reduction Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 4, 1943, Serial No. 508,924

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to gas torches and more particularly to gas torches intendedfor use in flame hardening metal.

When propane is used as the fuel-gas for flame hardening or other types of torches, there is a tendency for the flames to blow away from the tip and even blow out altogether, due to the fact that propane combines with oxygen in a ratio of l to 4 as distinguished from a ratio of 1 to 1 for acetylene. Therefore, more gas must be put through the tip when propane is used than when acetylene is used as the fuel. Consequently, when propane is used, the gas mixture necessarily must be supplied at a higher velocity in order to provide sufiicient heating. The tendency for the flames to blow away from the tip, and even blow out also applies to other fuel gases such as acetylene if high velocity jets are employed. Such blowing away of the flame can be prevented by causing a sudden decrease in the gas velocity just as it issues from the discharge orifice, without limiting the amount of gas passing through the orifice. The advantages of using high velocity jets are well understood in the art. Among other things they produce a faster heat transmission to the work and more heat is developed since the quantity of gas burned .is greater. It has been found that if the torch tip is recessed so that the discharge orifices open through a portion of the tip face that is set back with respect to the surrounding portion of the tip face, the tendency of propane flames to blow away is lessened, and with any fuel gas higher velocities can be used. It also has been found that if the discharge orifices are grouped or clustered,

the tendency of propane flames to blow away is lessened. In either case, the gas stream, as it leaves the discharge orifice, is broadened by what is known as the Bernoulli eifect, that is, a low pressure region which occurs between a rapidly moving gas stream and a stationary wall, or between two moving gas streams. When the gas is discharged into a recess the low pressure region between the moving gas stream and the wall of the recess causes the gas stream to expand as soon as it leaves the discharge orifice with a consequent decrease in the velocity of the gas. When the discharge orifices are grouped or clustered, the low pressure region between the closely positioned gas jets similarly causes the gas streams to expand as soon as they leave the discharge orifices, thereby reducing the velocity of the gas. However, experience has shown that a multi-jet tip having a separate individual recess for each jet does not operate very well; nor

to produce in eifect overlapping or communicating circular recesses, or so that it has a series of closely spaced communicating laterally-enlarged portions formed in some other way, and when each of such laterally-enlarged portions accommodates three or four of the jet orifices. With the side walls of the recess so formed, a Bernoulli efiect is obtained between the walls of the skirt and the jets and also between the gas jets themselves. Also, as the enlarged portions of the recess are in communication, the desired single sheet-like flame is produced.

A torch embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section through the torch;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the torch shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the torch drawn to an enlarged scale and showing a portion of the face of the torch tip with the recess therein.

The torch has a tip I of the elongated block type. A mixture of oxygen, and fuel gas such as acetylene or propane, enters the torch tip through a vertical passage 2 communicating with an inlet passage 3 in a suitable fitting 4. The vertical passage 2 delivers the gas mixture to the first of three horizontal distributing chambers shown at 5, 5a and 51) (Figs. 1 and 3). These distributing chambers are drilled longitudinally through the block and their axes are arranged in a vertical plane as shown. The ends of the distributing chambers are plugged as shown at 6 (Fig. 3). The gas mixture passes from the first distributing chamber 5 into the second chamber Ed by means of two diverging passages land 8 located near the opposite ends of the distributing chambers. The gas mixture then passes to the third distributing chamber 512 through two sets of vertical metering ports 8 and 9a (Figs. 1 and 3). The ports of each set are substantially evenly spaced along the entire length of the tip as shown in Fig. 3. The distributing chamber b delivers the gas mixture to two sets of vertical jet passages Ill and Illa leading to the face of the tip. The jet passages Ill and la terminate at the face of the tip in a double row of discharge orifices Ill and Ilia extending lengthwise of the tip face.

The elongated recess in the tip face is designated I! in its entirety (Figs. 1, 3 and 5). The

above-mentioned laterally enlarged portions are preferably produced in the manner shown in Fig. 5 by so forming the elongated recess that it-is ineffect a series of adjoining circular recesses it which overlap so that they are all in communication, or if the circular recesses do not sufficiently overlap to establish the communication each pair may be placed in communication by a short longitudinal recess l3. Forming the elongated rec'ess in this manner gives each of its side walls a scallopedshape, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 each scallop in one wall forming with the opposing. scallop. in the opposite wall one of the circular recesses. The side walls l4 of the circular recesses are tapered so that the diameter of each circular recess is greater at the extreme face of the tip than at the bottom of the recess.

The jet passages discharge into theenlarged or circular portions of the elongated recess and preferably more than. oneljet passage discharges into each of them so that there will be a group of flames in each enlargement of the recess. While anydesired number of jet passages may discharge into each enlargementof the recess, it is preferred that at least three of them do so. However, a more symmetrical and convenient arrangement is to have four jet passages discharging into each of them, this :bein'g'the arrangement shown in Fig. 5. It will be noted from this figure that two di charge orifices IU-' of. one row and two corresponding discharge orifices Illa of the other row are located in each of the circular recesses.

When a torch is constructed as above described propane can be used as the. fuel gas without the flames blowing away from the torch tip, and with any fuel gas relatively high velocity jets can be employed without this. happening.

The particular torch tip shown in the drawing happens to be water-cooled which accounts for the presence of the additional openings ll, Ila and i9, l ea'shown in Fig. 1. One set of thecooling water passages is shown in Fig. 4. The water enters'the block through a pair of vertical passages l5 communicating with corresponding inlet passages. Hi at one side 'of' the fitting 4. The water section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, shows only the water passages at one side of the block. A similar set of passages exists at the opposite side of the block to which water is supplied by inlet passages IBa at the opposite side of the fitting 4, and from which it is discharged by a second discharge pipe Zia.

I claim:

1. A gas torch having an elongated block constituting the torch tip, said block having a longitudinally-extending recess in the face thereof, said recess being defined at opposite sides by cont'ihuous walls eachformed to provide a series of then passes'through a horizontal passage H, a

vertical passage [8, another horizontalpassage i9, and is'then discharged by means of a vertical passage 20 into a discharge pipe 2|. Fig. 4, being a closely-positioned, laterally-enlarged portions in the recess, said block having gas passages so formed therein that a plurality of discharge orifices therefrom open into each of said enlarged portions in the recess, the total area of said discharge orifices in each laterally-enlarged portion being substantially less than the area of said laterally enlarged portion.

2. A gas torch as defined in claim 1. in which. two discharge orifices from the gas passage open? into each enlarged portion of the recess at each sideof the longitudinal center thereof.

3. A gas torch as defined in claim 1 in which.

the enlarged portions of the recess are formed by scallops in the side walls defining the recess, and

the scallops in the side walls. defining the space-are arranged in pairs transversely opposite one another.

4. A gas torch as defined in claim 1. inv which; the enlarged portions of the recess are formed bya series of overlapping circular recesses,v the opposite sides of which are formed inthe. respective side walls defining the longitudinally-extending recess.

5. A gas torch as defined in claim -1 in which the walls at the opposite sides of the longitudinally-extending recess defining the enlarged portions diverge towards the face of the torch.

6. A gas torch as defined in claim 1 in which the walls at the opposite sides of the longitudinallyextending recess defining the enlarged portions diverge towards the face of the torch and in which at least two discharge orifices from the gas passage in said block open into each enlarged portion of the recess at each side'of the longitudinal cen-- ter thereof.

GEORGE-L. WALKER.

REFERENCESv CITED The following references. are of: record: in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,074,626 Kempet a1. Oct. 7, 19-131 2,181,937 Eskridge Dec. 5, 1939 2,337,087 Deck ;Dec. 21, 1943 

